Worn steering parts. Can be many things. Have your steering components inspected.
Worn steering components
This means you have excessive pressure on one side of your power steering assembly. Your steering box may be worn out. Also, check your tie-rods for excessive play.
You can tell that the rack in opinion steering is bad when there is excessive play in the steering will. You might also feel a shimmy in the steering wheel.
A front suspension system has excessive steering effort and rapid steering wheel return. The most likely cause of this problem is
Failure of the power steering system.
Failure of the Power Steering system.
A customer notices difficult steering and rapid steering wheel return. What might be a possible cause?The rear suspension may have excessive positive casterThe front suspension may have excessive positive casteThe rear suspension may have excessive positive camber.The front suspension may have excessive positive camber.
The front suspension may have excessive positive caster.
how do you fix play in a 1997 mercury mountainer steering wheel
You can raise the vehicle front or rear and move the wheel back and forth and up and down, so as to feel for play. Excessive play in the wheel indicates loose components, whether a wheel bearing or tie rod or ball joint. If there is excessive play moving the wheel left and right, then could be a tie rod. If there is excessive play up and down, then could be a ball joint. If there is excessive play all around, then could be the wheel bearing.
Not knowing the year or make of the vehicle in question, the answers I give are only generalizations. There may be excessive play in the steering gear box which requires a new gearbox to be installed. There may be need to replace the tie rod ends and relay/control arms. Check the pittman arm for excessive play. Check for loose wheel bearings, a complete inspection of the front end components would be advised.
The front suspension may have excessive positive camber